The present invention relates to blending and dispensing devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to blending and dispensing devices for liquid compositions including, among other products, various shades of liquid cosmetic compositions.
Colored liquid cosmetics such as lipstick, lip gloss, tinted creme, foundation, eyeliner, and nail polish are desired in numerous shades to fit the preferences of various consumers. For example, more than 20 shades of liquid foundation may be popular in a season and desired to suit different skin tones that exist in the public. Thus, it is necessary that foundation manufacturers mix more than 20 shades of foundation in manufacturing plants to satisfy the public""s desires. It is also necessary that a consumer purchase a separate bottle of each desired shade.
The prior art suggests how the cosmetics industry might eliminate the need to purchase separate bottles of foundation for each shade a consumer desires. In particular, a consumer may mix his/her personal shade of colors at home by using one of the prior art multi-chambered dispensers. Past multi-chambered cosmetic dispensers generally utilize a mechanical pump means. Examples of typical multi-chambered fluid dispenser are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,848,732 and 3,760,986. U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,986 discloses a multi-chambered dispenser that is operated by a positive displacement pump. The dispenser comprises separate non-communicating compartments and a tube extending from each compartment into a chamber in the nozzle head. The positive displacement pump has two spaced pistons and two spring-loaded ball checks for closing the connection between the chamber and the depending tube in each chamber. As the user depresses the pump, the spring-loaded ball is displaced so that fluid from each compartment can separately pass into the chamber and out the nozzle head. U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,732 discloses a similar mechanical multi-chambered dispenser with a positive displacement pump. However, the dispenser disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,732 utilizes a mixing apparatus having a manual adjuster for changing the amount of medium dispensed from each compartment into a mixing chamber. After the medium is mixed, the medium exits the dispenser.
One problem with past multi-chambered dispensers is that the dispenser is a pump that typically comprises a plastic piston and a spring-loaded ball which both tend to wear out or break after continued use, causing the dispenser to malfunction. Another problem with past multi-chambered dispensers is that mechanical pumps limit a user to fixed increments of product from each chamber of the dispenser. In relation, the manually operated mechanical pumps do not successfully dispense micro-liter volumes of liquid from each compartment or dispense precise doses of product after repeated use. Thus, if the past multi-chambered dispenser is used to mix colored products, one dispenser would not achieve every color in the visible color spectrum. Further, a pump style dispenser can be messy because a user has to pour liquid foundation or other fluids into the chambers each time the fluids are depleted. The conventional dispensers also do not effectively use up all of the foundation in the dispensers because the tubes in which the foundation is pulled up into do not pull fluid off of the dispenser walls.
Therefore, there remains a need to provide a dispenser for dispensing liquid cosmetic compositions that is cost effective, durable, and dispenses doses of product in non-limiting and accurate increments. There also remains a need to provide a dispenser that dispenses an infinite number of shades of cosmetics.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings associated with previous multi-chambered dispensers by providing a multi-chambered dispenser for dispensing customized fluid compositions using ink jet printing technology. The present invention includes a housing defining a dispensing orifice, a device to specify the customized liquid formula, a central processing system including stored formulas, a power source, multiple cartridges, and at least one ink jet head for dispensing programmed volumes of the customized liquid formula.
In one embodiment, the dispenser is made to dispense customized shades of liquid foundation. Utilizing ink jet printing technology for dispensing liquid cosmetic compositions is a surprising aspect of the present invention because ink that is used in ink jet printers is much more fluid than typical liquid cosmetic compositions. It was believed that the rheology of cosmetic fluids, such as liquid foundation, would not properly flow through the ink jet cartridges.
These and other aspects and advantages of the invention will be better understood upon review of the following description, pending claims, and accompanying sheets of drawings.